Foul play not ruled out in Audrain County death

A body discovered last week in an abandoned house in Vandalia has identified as Jennifer Lynn Middleton, police said in a news conference on Monday.

A body discovered last week in an abandoned house in Vandalia has identified as Jennifer Lynn Middleton, police said in a news conference on Monday.

Vandalia Police Chief Christopher Hammann and Audrain County Sheriff Matt Oller met with reporters, but were not able to offer specific details on the death of Middleton.

“We were able to confirm (her identify) through dental records,” said Hammann.

Oller said that police were still awaiting autopsy results to determine the circumstances around the case.

“The autopsy did reveal some things that are keeping us from ruling our foul play at this point,” Oller said. “We are going to ask anybody with any information about short time leading up to her death to come forward and give us any information they may have.”

Last week, police charged John Lue II with abandonment of a corpse. Police say that Lue admitted to burying Middleton under his house after she died in 2015.